ALLIED WALL-PAPER TRADES OF UNITED STATES CLAIM THAT THEIR INDUSTRY NEEDS MORE PROTECTION. Hon. S. E. PAYNE, M. C., NEW YORK CITY, December 22, 1908. Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: I have been instructed in behalf of the members of the above-named organization to communicate with you regarding some change in the tariff on wall paper. I would respectfully ask that you advocate an advance over the present duty, as it seems that the American manufacturers have not the proper protection against the importation of wall paper from Europe, where the wages paid are much less than received by our members. About five years ago the importation was only $200,000 and at the present time it has exceeded the sum of $800,000. These are the conditions that our members of the trade have been working against. Trusting that you will give this your earliest attention, and assuring you whatever you do will be appreciated, I am, Yours, truly, JAMES L. MULHEARN, National Secretary, M. P. & C. M. RICHARD H. SCHELLER, secretary of Local Union No. 1, N. P. C. A. of A., files a similar letter. JAMES L. MULHEARN, SECRETARY ALLIED WALL-PAPER TRADES, FILES SUPPLEMENTAL STATEMENT ON WALL PAPER. Hon. SERENO E. PAYNE, M. C. 233 FORTY-FIFTH STREET, Brooklyn, N. Y., January 4, 1909. Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Yours of the 23d at hand and thank you for your quick reply. In your letter you suggested that I make a brief showing the cost of producing paper here and abroad that would be of real service to the committee. I can not give that information correctly, as I have no record of my own which I could give to the committee. But as we are a labor organization, I will give the committee my views on the subject from a labor standpoint. Thus: The machine printers and color mixers and print cutters in England receive at an average of 35 shillings to £2 per week, equal to about $8.75 to $10 of American money. The wages paid to the machine printers and color mixers in Germany.and France are from 40 to 60 marks per week, equal to $10 to $15 of American money. The print cutters receive from 21 to 40 marks per week, equal to $5.25 to $10 in American money. The wages received by our members are: Machine printers, from $22 to $25 per week; the color mixers receive $25 per week; and the print cutters $20 per week, and continued employment for an entire year, where the European employees are employed only as they may be required. The lower wages paid in the European countries cause the American wall-paper merchant to deal freely with European manufacturers for his requirements, causing the importation to increase nearly 300 per cent in five years. Therefore, our members think that if something is not done to check the importation, or if it is allowed to increase, it may diminish the demand for wall paper made in this country, which would place our members in a less favorable condition. It may cause a reduction of the wages of our members or shorten the period of employment each year in order for the American manufacturer to meet the foreign competition, or may cause the shutting up of some of the factories in this country and throwing our members out of employment. Trusting that the committee will take these facts into consideration, and advocate an advance in the duty on wall paper. By so doing they will protect the labor in this country. Wishing you and the committee all the compliments of the season, I am, Very truly, yours, [SEAL.] JAMES L. MULHEARN, National Secretary Allied Wall Paper Trades. THE ALLIED WALL PAPER TRADES ASK FOR AN INCREASE OF DUTIES ON WALL PAPER AND INTERIOR DECORATIONS. Hon. SERENO E. PAYNE, NEW YORK CITY, January 6, 1909. Chairman Ways and Means Committee, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Supplementary to our letters of December 19 and December 22, 1908, we wish to file the following table relating to the wages paid in the wall-paper industries of England, Germany, and the United States of America, and we would respectfully ask that in view of same that the duty, 25 per cent, on wall papers and interior decorations be increased, and that the rate of duty be based upon United States values instead of foreign, and that the rate of duty upon print blocks and rollers, 45 per cent ad valorem, remain as it is at the present time and not made any less. We would also call your attention to the fact that during the past few years a large number of wall-paper factories have closed down and we know of others that are on the verge of closing owing to the 61318-SCHED M-09-25 competition not only among themselves, but with the foreign manufacturers, especially German. Trusting you will give this your consideration, as it has become a serious question with the members of our trades, we are, Respectfully, yours, JOHN T. FURLONG, National President Machine Runners National President of the National Print HON. D. F. LAFEAN, M. C., SUBMITS LETTER FROM THE PRINT CUTTERS' ASSOCIATION, YORK, PA., RELATIVE TO WALL PAPER, INTERIOR DECORATIONS, AND PRINT BLOCKS. WASHINGTON, D. C., January 9, 1909. Hon. SERENO E. PAYNE, M. C. Washington, D. C. MY DEAR SIR: I inclose herewith a self-explanatory communication from York Local Union, No. 5, National Print Cutters' Association of America, which I would respectfully ask that you call to the attention of your committee when the schedule for wall paper is taken up, and that your committee give the argument therein careful consideration. Yours, very truly, Hon. DANIEL F. LAFEAN, M. C., Washington, D. C. D. F. LAFEAN. YORK, PA., January 4, 1909. HONORABLE DEAR SIR: I have been directed by York Local, No. 5, National Print Cutters' Association of America, to write you in regards to any possible change in the present tariff on manufactured wall papers and interior decorations, and also on print blocks and rollers used in the printing of same. If any change is contemplated, we respectfully ask your assistance to have the duty on wall papers increased if at all possible, as we believe the present duty entirely inadequate to give the American manufacturer proper protection against foreign importations. During the past five years the importations of wall paper has increased about 300 per cent. In 1903 the imports amounted to about $200,000, while it now amounts to almost $800,000. As wages in foreign countries, England and Germany, are only about one-half of what they are in the United States, we feel that not only are the American manufacturers entitled to fair protection, but that we, ourselves, are entitled to protection against the low wages and unfavorable conditions existing in England and Germany, where the wall paper industries are controlled by syndicates, whereas the American manufacturers from whom we obtain our livelihood are hardly making any profit at all, certainly not what they are entitled to make considering the capital invested. Regarding print blocks we wish to say that this work is done entirely by hand, not a single part of same can in any way be made by machine, and it would be a great injustice to us if the present tariff on these print rollers were removed or made less. They are classified as manufactured wood and metal, principal value on metal 45 per cent ad valorem, and we ask that you use your influence to have this duty increased if at all possible, as the wages paid in Europe for this work is only about one-half what we receive, and we believe we should receive the protection that years of work entitles us to. Trusting you will give this your support and assuring you that anything you may do in our behalf will be appreciated, I remain, Yours, very truly, NATIONAL PRINT CUTTERS' ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, CHAS. H. ROBERTSON, Secretary Local Union No. 5. (Communications, duplicates of the above, were received from the following organizations of the National Print Cutters' Association of America: Local Union No. 4, George F. Small, secretary, Buffalo, N. Y.; Local Union No. 5, William E. Steinert, secretary, 269 Handy street, New Brunswick, N. J., submitted by Hon. Benjamin F. Howell, M. C.; Local Union No. 3, Alexander Yuill, New Brunswick, N. J.; Local Union No. 2, John Paravicini, Philadelphia, Pa., submitted by Hon. George D. McCreary, M. C.; Thomas I. G. Eastwood, national secretary National Print Cutters' Association. Hon. D. F. Lafean, M. C., submitted a similar communication from George A. Wagner, secretary Local Union No. 6, National Association of Machine Prints and Color Mixers, York, Pa.) GLAZED OR TRANSPARENT PAPER. [Paragraph 402.] THE U. S. PAPER GOODS CO., CINCINNATI, WISHES PROPER DIFFERENTIAL ON ENVELOPES OF TRANSPARENT PAPER. CINCINNATI, December 10, 1908. CHAIRMAN WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR SIR: Our attention has been called to the fact that some discussion has arisen regarding the revision of the tariff schedule on paper. What we are particularly interested in in this line is glazed or transparent paper, which is at present being imported chiefly from Germany, and is used in great quantities for making transparent envelopes. As we understand it the present rate of duty on paper on importations of this kind is 25 per cent, while the rate on envelopes made up out of this same kind of paper is only 20 per cent. If we as manufacturers buy the paper, we have not only to pay the high rate of duty on the paper, but in making the envelopes, on account of their irregular shape, we are compelled to waste in cutting from 10 to 15 per cent. This waste, in the meantime, has had a duty of 25 per cent paid on it, whereas the foreign manufacturer of envelopes can get the whole thing in here complete at 20 per cent. This seems to us to be an unfair deal to the American manufacturer of envelopes. We wish to recommend the above to your consideration. We as manufacturers do not care for any great amount of protection, but we do not want to be discriminated against as above. We respectfully ask that you give this matter consideration at the proper time. THE U. S. PAPER GOODS Co. H. W. STUart. Yours, very truly, WRAPPING PAPER. [Paragraph 402.] STATEMENT OF MILTON E. MARCUSE, OF RICHMOND, VA., WHO THINKS KRAFT PAPER SHOULD BE CLASSED AS TISSUE. SATURDAY, November 21, 1908. The CHAIRMAN. What is your name? Mr. MARCUSE. Before submitting the paper which I have I will say that I was interested in the question put by Mr. Gaines to Mr. Sullivan, as to the amount of duty involved on one particular book, and working on that I have figured out that if the total duty were saved to the consumer of wrapping paper that he would save 1 cent in wrapping up 500 pounds of sugar. Speaking for the wrapping-paper manufacturers, we wish to submit that wrapping-paper manufacturers, representing an investment of about $80,000,000 among 103 mills specifically engaged in this industry in America and employing many thousands of skilled employees, artisans, and laborers, receive little or no protection under the existing law, the duty of 25 per cent ad valorem permitting the importation of a large tonnage of so-called Kraft paper manufactured by European manufacturers. This paper, as its name indicates, is exceedingly strong, so strong that a sheet of 25-pound paper (25 pounds to a ream, 480 sheets of 24 by 36 inches) does the same service as our domestic 40 or 50 pound No. 1 manila. It is manufactured in paper mills where the investment is relatively small and the labor cheap. These manufacturers can build and equip their plants for very much less than the cost required in America. They have machinery and building material free of duty and enjoy low labor costs in all the departments of their business-building, constructing, and operating. Therefore they can afford to run their machinery slow enough to produce this grade, which yields but a very small daily production per inches of machine, whereas in America we can not meet their competition on account of the larger investment and production costs, as we are compelled to run for tonnage, and in order to get the lowest possible production costs we are forced to run such weights and grades as to enable us to secure these results. The growth of the Kraft paper-making industry and its importation into this country is increasing at an alarming rate. This has grown |